Scar tissue attachments, also called adhesions, are a frequent complication of surgical procedures. During a surgical procedure the tissues and organs of the body may be deliberately or inadvertently injured. These injuries prompt a wound healing response that results in scarring.
Scarring is problematic when it produces scar tissue attachments between adjacent tissues and organs that should remain unattached. Adhesions are capable of forming in any anatomical location including around the eyes, tendons, heart, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, sinus, and among the organs of the abdominal and pelvic cavities. For example, a bowel resection within the abdominal cavity may lead to scar tissue attachments between the bowels and the abdominal wall. These attachments can produce pain and discomfort for the patient, impair the functioning of the effected organs, and hinder subsequent surgeries in the same anatomical region.
An anti-adhesion barrier is a medical device used by surgeons to inhibit, reduce, or prevent scar tissue attachments. These devices are commercially available as membranes, gels, and solutions. During a surgical procedure a surgeon may choose to insert an anti-adhesion barrier between injured tissues and organs. Such devices work by physically separating the injured organs during the critical period of wound healing during which patients are most at risk for adhesions. After the critical phase has passed the devices are resorbed by the body. Generally, membrane barriers are superior to gels and solutions which are resorbed by the body too quickly. Even the most successful membranes, however, are only partially effective and may suffer from brittleness and poor resorbability.